Mr Rakesh Gaur

The Story of Driverless Trains

After a long wait since 2017, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) entered the elite league of 7 per cent of the world’s metro networks that can operate without drivers in December 2020. The DMRC has got the credit of being the only Metro Corporation in the country to have the technology with the launch of the country’s first ‘driverless’ train on its Magenta Line which runs in the national capita connecting Delhi and parts of Noida.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s first driverless metro via video-conferencing. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh were among other senior officials who attended the event. The train will be fully automated, eliminating the possibility of human error, according to DMRC officials.

The service will be available on Delhi Metro’s 38-km long Magenta Line which connects Janakpuri West in West Delhi to Botanical Garden in Noida in the initial months and then after it will be extended to the pink line ofthe DMRC network.

"DMRC has had driverless technology since 2017, but the agency had been conducting rigorous trials before launch. The initial launch was set for May 2020 but it had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 lockdown" , says an official.

Authored By..

Narendra Shah Managing Editor METRO RAIL NEWS

The automated train systems use the Grade of Automation classifications specified by the standard IEC 62290‐ 1. Technology needs an enhanced signalling system. The history of Metro automation is not very new to the world. Indeed, it has been a long period. The first line of its kind to be operated with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) was London Underground's Victoria line, which opened in 1967, although a driver was present in the cabin. However, as if now, many lines now operate using an ATO system, with the aim of improving the frequency of service.

Since then, ATO technology has been developed to enable trains to operate even without a driver in a cab: either with an attendant roaming within the train or with no staff on board. With these developments, Port Island Line in Kobe, Japan became the first of its kind to have in the year 1981. It was the first fully automated driverless mass-transit rail network. The second in the world is the Lille Metro in northern France which became the first driverless network of Europe.

Autonomous driving seems like new technology, but its history is surprisingly long. The world’s first automated unmanned railway was Kobe New Transit’s Port Liner which commenced operations in 1981. Although nearly 30 years have passed since then, automatic railways are not spreading.

Currently, there are several lines other than the Port Liner which have unmanned automated driving. For example, Osaka Metro’s New Tram, the Yurikamome which runs along Tokyo’s waterfront area, The Nippori-Toneri Liner which is operated by Tokyo Metropolis, the Seaside Line which runs in the southern part of Yokohama City, and the Disney Resort Line which links the facilities at Tokyo Disney Resort.

All of these lines are elevated and their tracks are isolated from ordinary roads. Doors are installed on the platforms to prevent people from accidentally falling onto the tracks. People and vehicles rarely enter the tracks, there are no railroad crossings where accidents can easily occur, and they are well-protected from flying objects. For this reason, there is a distinctly low level of risk during unmanned driving.

The automated train of East Japan Railway Company’s (JR East’s) Yamanote Line, introduced above, is also the type that has a driver. The same is true of the automated driving that JR East plans to introduce on the Joban Line. Also, Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) conducted a running test of an autonomous train. According to reports, West Japan Railway Company (JR West) have also conducted a running test.

The driverless train operation (DTO) or unattended train operation (UTO) modes can be implemented only on Line 7 and Line 8 of the DMRC network which came up under the Phase III expansion. These corridors are equipped with an advanced signalling technologywhich makes the transition possible. For now, DMRC is rolling out the UTO mode on Line 8 only.

Although, the matter is very encouraging in the Indian context, even now, the trains are mostly remotely controlled from the command rooms of the DMRC known as Operations Control Centre (OCC), from where teams of engineers track and monitor in real-time train movement across the DMRC network. The OCCs are akin to air traffic control towers equipped with large display walls and communication technology. DMRC has three OCCs, including two inside the metro headquarters and one at Shastri Park. But the level of control that the drivers or train operators have overtrains vary from line to line.

From ATP and ATO, metro will switch to Driverless Train Operation (DTO) mode. In this mode, trains can be controlled entirely from the three command centres of the DMRC, without any human intervention. The Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology also makes it possible to monitor and troubleshoot every aspect of train operations remotely. Manual intervention is required only in cases of hardware replacement.

The author had a conversation with official and they said, "At the command centres, posts of information controllers have been created to handle the passenger information system, crowd monitoring. Rolling stock controllers will monitor train equipment in real-time, download faults and other events captured by CCTVs and assist traffic controllers in executing commands remotely".

Apart from this, all station controllers will also have access to onboard CCTV feed. But the system will still be one step away from the Unattended Train Operation (UTO) mode, the final stage of driverless services. The move is however being seen as one which will take away many jobs in a country where there is already scarcity of jobs as the youth population is much greater than any other nations ofthe world.

Initially, the DMRC will have one attendant on the train. Until the DMRC switches to the UTO mode, it will have roving attendants, who will be trained metro operators, onboard to intervene in case of emergencies or othertypes of failures.

PM Modi Flagging off the India's First Driverless Train through Video Conference

During the virtual function, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The inauguration of the first driverless metro train shows how fast India is moving towards smart systems.” “The first metro in the country was started with the efforts of Atal (Bihari Vajpayee) Ji. When our government was formed in 2014, only five cities had metro services and today 18 cities have metro rail service. By 2025, we will take this service to more than 25 cities” , he added.

In metro systems, automation refers to the process by which responsibility for operation management of the trains is transferred from the driver to the train control system. There are various degrees of automation also known as the Grades of Automation. These are defined according to which basic functions of train operation are the responsibility of staff, and which are the responsibility of the system itself. For example, a Grade of Automation 0 would correspond to on-sight operation, like a tram running on street traffic. Grade of Automation 4 would refer to a system in which vehicles are run fully automatically without any operating staff onboard.

The implementation of UTO systems allows operators to optimise the running time of trains, increasing the average speed of the system, shortening headways up to 75 seconds, and reducing dwell time in stations to 15 seconds.

Let's look at the benefits of the system which has been introduced in the DMRC network. These are as follows:-

Greaterflexibilityin operation

By taking the human factor out of the driving equation, operators gain flexibility and can make better use of assets. UTO systems offer a more tailored service coverage, reducing overcapacity supply at off-peak hours and enabling operators to inject trains in response to sudden surges in demand, for example in the case of big events.

Impressive safetyrecords

UTO systems also offer safer operations by reducing the humanrisk factor; well designed UTO systems have proven to be more reliable than conventional metros and hold an impressive safety record. Platform and track incidents aside, there has been only one operational incident in Osaka, at the end of the 80s, when a train did not stop at the terminus and hit a bumper stop, provoking injuries in a few dozen passengers.

Increase in qualityofservice

Overall, passengers perceive an increased quality of service, thanks to the enhanced reliability of trains and shorter waiting times in platforms. The re-deployment of staff in stations also increases passenger’s level of subjective safetyand security.

Financial feasibility

For new lines, automation costs will come at a relatively low comparative weight within the overall budget. Main cost factors are mainly connected to the rolling stock, the signalling and control systems and platform and track protection systems:-

-Rolling stock – An increase in commercial and average commercial speeds, reduced headways and the optimal distribution of reserve train sets along the lines translate in gains in the fleet. Thanks to higher reliability, it is possible to achieve more capacity with the same (or even reduced) fleet size; the technical reserve (spare vehicles) can also be downsized.

– Signalling and control systems – Full UTO represents a higher cost than traditional ATP systems. However, the current trend is to install CBTC systems on new lines – even with drivers (GoA2). The signalling technology is the same, the cost difference is marginal in the case of a new line.

– Platform & track protection systems – The need to replace the role of the driver in preventing platform and track incidents represents the highest civil engineering cost increase. "Line conversion poses a more complicated business case. It is necessary to factor in extra costs due to the technical difficulties connected to the modification of the existing signalling and control systems and the need to replace or retrofit existing rolling stock, as well as the increased cost and complexity of installing platform and track protection systems in older stations. To minimise its impact, conversion projects should be timed to the end ofthe life cycle ofthe existing equipment", says an expert.

"For conventional lines that upgrade to UTO in parallel with the renewal of rolling stock or signalling equipment, it is estimated that the return on investment period is around 10 years", he adds.

When factoring in operational costs, automated lines come ahead of conventional lines; some studies indicate a halving in operational costs. Staff costs are greatly reduced which can be a negative aspect ofthe Indian perspective.

One benefit of the system is that the acceleration and deceleration patterns can be adjusted to reduce energy consumption and maximise energy recovery, thus significantly reducing energy costs. While maintenance costs are marginally increased due to the introduction of platform and track protection systems.

Holistic efficiencyand organisation opportunities

Implementing UTO is being seen as a major milestone in the life of the operating Corporations. The introduction of a more sophisticated computerised system and Operation Control Centre (OCC) should be an opportunity to review most operation processes and assess how they can be improved and “plugged in” to the system in order to extract maximum benefit from the data process capabilities installed, and also yield better performance at optimised costs. The main operation areas likely to be affected are operation resource planning, staff training, rolling stock management, maintenance management, quality management.

Automatic Train Protection (ATP) is the system and all equipment responsible for basic safety; it avoids collisions, red signal overrunning and exceeding speed limits by applying brakes automatically. A line equipped with ATP corresponds (at least) to a GoA1.

Automatic Train Operation (ATO) ensures partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functionalities. The ATO system performs all the functions of the driver, except for door closing. The driver only needs to close the doors, and if the way is clear, the train will automatically proceed to the next station. This corresponds to a GoA2.

Many newer systems are completely computer-controlled; most systems still elect to maintain a driver, or a train attendant of some

kind, to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies. This corresponds to a GoA3.

Automatic Train Control (ATC) performs automatically normal signaller operations such as route setting and train regulation. The ATO and the ATC systems work together to maintain a train within a defined tolerance of its timetable. The combined system will marginally adjust operating parameters such as the ratio of power to coast when moving and station dwell time, to bring the train back to the timetable slot defined for it. There is no driver, and no staff assigned to accompanythe train, corresponding to a GoA4.

At Grade of Automation 4, ATC systems work within an overall signalling system with interlocking, automatic train supervision, track vacancy detection and communication functions.

As of March 2018 there were more than 1,000 km of metro lines in Fully Automated Operation worldwide. These lines are running in 42 cities, becoming a common site among metro systems, with nearly a quarter having at least one automated line.

This new Statistics Brief from UITP explores the characteristics of automated lines, analyses the growth of the past decade, and offers a perspective on the future of FAO lines. Chinese cities are set to power a tremendous growth in FAO, with an expected tripling of all the automated metro kilometres worldwide by 2022 if all confirmed projects advance according to plan.

The European Scenario The first automated metro line in the European Union was launched in the French city of Lille in 1983. Initially, it consisted of 12 stations. Since that time, Lille Metro has been developed significantly. Now, it includes two fully automated lines with 60 stations. The technology forAutomatic Train Operation (ATO) in Lille is based on automatic rubber-tyred people movers. It was designed by French company Matra Transport International and also known as Véhicule Automatique Léger.

Afterwards, this technology became popular in France. Besides Lille, the VAL solution was implemented in Paris (Orlyval service), Lyon, Toulouse and Rennes. In the 1990s Matra Transport International developed the communication-based train control technology for automated metro lines – Trainguard MT CBTC (now it belongs to Siemens Mobility). It was deployed in Lyon Metro (Line D) and Paris Metro (Line 1 and 4). Also, this solution was installed in other European countries including Germany (Nuremberg U-Bahn), Spain (Barcelona Metro) and Hungary (Line 4 of Budapest Metro).

"During the next decade, Italian engineering company AnsaldoBreda (now Hitachi Rail Italy) has been developing its technology for automatic metro operation known as AnsaldoBreda Driverless Metro. Its other name is the Denmark Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro due to the capital of Denmark as the first location of installation. Besides Denmark, it is popular in Italy, the company’s home market. Four Italian cities Milan, Rome, Brescia, Turin use this solution in their metro systems", says research.

Since these trains operate on communication-based train control (signalling) system, they can be run with headway as high as 90 seconds to offer more carrying capacity.

According to DMRC, initially, the train operator will be present on the driverless train to instil a sense of confidence and assistance for passengers. The driverless train operation's higher level of diagnostic features will help move from the conventional timebased maintenance to condition-based maintenance.

The system will also reduce maintenance downtime of the Delhi Metro trains. The driverless trains will be fully automated which will require minimum human intervention and will eliminate the possibilities of human errors.

AI-powered smart trains AI technologies are already powering rail systems around the world. The Dubai International Airport, for instance, operates a fully autonomous train to transfer passengers from one terminal to another. It uses SelTrac, an automatic railway signalling technology from Toronto-based company Thales, to control the train autonomously. The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Lines, currently the world’s longest automated metro system, is another case in point. This urban transit system has achieved Level 4 automation.

With the AI, a new era may start in the field of fully automated metro operations. It may even be greater than the present driverless systems where humans control the system sitting at control stations. A time can come soon when the need for human intervention will come to zero. “Today, we’re seeing AI being used in rail applications to improve train scheduling, manage train speeds, avoid accidents, predict delays, enhance asset management, and more. These AI applications help ensure public safety, deliver customer value, and optimize overall rail management and operations. In this manner, the technology is helping reverse the trend for rail transport to lose market share to other modes of transportation,” says an AI technology expert based in Dubai.

It’s another matter, altogether, that around three years back, India’s Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, asserted that driverless cars will not be allowed in India because the government is not going to promote any technology that comes at the cost of jobs. However, the Automated Metro has been interested and it is very safe for passengers. Initially, an attendant is there in the Metro train to help the passengers in the case of any emergency. However, there are fears as the coming of fully automated technology in the other metro corporations will reduce human interference and thus the technology will become a cause for reduction of jobs. Although it has a negative aspect taking in point the job perspective it is a welcome move and we shall wait for a fewyears when the other metro corporations ofthe country start navigating with the newtechnology.

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